Affiliation

Abstract

In the era of Big Data, omic-scale technologies, and increasing calls for data sharing, it is generally agreed that the use of community-developed, open data standards is critical. Far less agreed upon is exactly which data standards should be used, the criteria by which one should choose a standard, or even what constitutes a data standard. It is impossible simply to choose a domain and have it naturally follow which data standards should be used in all cases. The 'right' standards to use is often dependent on the use case scenarios for a given project. Potential downstream applications for the data, however, may not always be apparent at the time the data are generated. Similarly, technology evolves, adding further complexity. Would-be standards adopters must strike a balance between planning for the future and minimizing the burden of compliance. Better tools and resources are required to help guide this balancing act.

References

Request for Information (RFI): input into the Deliberations of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director Working Group on Data and Informatics 2012. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-12-032.html (accessed 30 May 2013).